New Madrid Area M.Ed. for Working Adults

William Woods University’s Graduate & Adult Studies (G&AS) program helped Anita Gilliland “develop professionally and academically, while at the same time allowing me to have a life outside of graduate school.” Gilliland, who completed her master of education degree (MED) in Jefferson City, said, “William Woods puts a friendly face on graduate school.”

William Woods is offering New Madrid area residents the opportunity to pursue an MED without quitting work. An orientation will be held at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 17 at Central Middle School.

The 36-credit-hour MED program has two tracks— students can choose to study administration or curriculum and instruction. The administration track is intended to provide the student with the fundamental skills necessary for effective school administration at the elementary, and/or secondary level(s). The curriculum & instruction (C&I) track is for teachers who wish to enhance their classroom skills.

In the beginning, the G&AS programs were located only in mid-Missouri. Now, thanks to the growing demand, William Woods has expanded G&AS programs to locations across the state for the convenience of interested students.

These programs make it possible for people with full-time jobs to complete a graduate degree while remaining employed. Employing a model of accelerated learning developed especially for the convenience of the working adult, these educational programs are structured so that a degree can be completed in as few as 22 months.

To guarantee the graduation of many well-rounded professionals, William Woods offers degree programs that utilize a cohort model, emphasizing learning through student-directed study groups of three to five students.

Gilliland has high praise for the cohort program. “The William Woods cohort program allowed me to continue teaching full-time while attending classes one night a week. Because we were part of a cohort, we were able to develop friendships and close working relationships with classmates and professors,” she said.

The word “cohort” describes a group of people who collaborate to reach a common goal. WWU’s program utilizes the diversity of the individual members to broaden the learning experience of the class as a whole as they work together. The school recognizes that learning can and does take place outside of the classroom and that theoretical knowledge is only useful if applied to real-life on-the-job situations.

To better fit the schedules of the ever-busy G&AS students, classes meet once a week in the evening for four hours. Study groups meet outside of class to prepare projects and assignments before the upcoming week.

“With the teamwork approach of using study groups and projects within the
cohort model, students can draw on a greater pool of ideas, and they have the opportunity
to learn quickly that the effectiveness of one person can be greatly enhanced by utilizing the other members of the group,” said Betty R. Tutt, associate provost for extended studies.

Because of the nature of programming—focusing effort on one course at a time—75 to 90 percent of all students finish their program successfully. Each course in the MED program normally runs six weeks in length.

“William Woods University is a leader when it comes to designing quality programs for nontraditional adult students. Everything we do here at WWU in our Graduate & Adult Studies program is specifically designed to help adults succeed in reaching their goals as efficiently as possible,” said Tutt.

In addition to the MED, William Woods offers several other G&AS programs, including an associate of arts degree in liberal studies, ACCESS (general education), a bachelor of science in management (BSM), a bachelor of science in computer information management (CIM), a master of business administration (MBA) an MBA with accounting emphasis and a new MBA with health management emphasis. More information is available on the William Woods website at www.williamwoods.edu.

William Woods University can bring programs to your business or community. If there is interest, call 1-800-995-3199 to schedule an information meeting to be held on-site or in your community. Or contact WWU by e-mail at cgas@williamwoods.edu or by fax at (573) 592-1164.

Author:Mary Ann Beahon

Mary Ann Beahon brings more than 45 years of public relations experience to the job, primarily in higher education. She served as the director of University Relations for 18 years before entering semi-retirement in August 2016.
View all posts by Mary Ann Beahon

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